Frustrated Zerafa hits Tszyu hard

JEFF Horn’s great foe Michael Zerafa has launched a stinging attack on Tim Tszyu, claiming the son of Kostya is “running scared” and has faked an injury to avoid fighting him.

Tszyu’s decision to accept Wednesday night’s blockbuster bout with Horn in Townsville has left Zerafa furious, with the “Pretty Boy” accusing the Sydney slugger of changing his fight plan to sidestep the cocky Victorian.

Tszyu produced a clinical disposal of Jack Brubaker last December, just a fortnight before Zerafa lost his return bout against Horn in their epic 10round Brisbane bloodbath.

Tszyu’s win earned him a shot at Horn but hard-hitting middleweight Zerafa is seething at being snubbed, lashing the 25-year-old as a coward for the pair not squaring off.

“My camp calls Tim Tszyu ‘The Magician’, because every time a fight with me approaches he disappears,” Zerafa said.

“I have respect for Jeff Horn as a fighter but I don’t rate Tszyu. He is ducking me.

“The truth is he had a fourfight plan and those fights were Joel Camilleri, Dwight Ritchie, me and Jeff Horn.

“In the end, he swapped out me to fight Brubaker, who is a 66kg fighter.

“He is running scared of me and if you took away his dad’s famous surname, who is he?

“He said the other day he has cleaned out his backyard in Australia ... how can he say that when he hasn’t even fought me yet?”

Zerafa would have to drop to the light-middleweight division to fight Tszyu but says he would have no problem losing weight to make the bout happen.